Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

Have you ever noticed that when you hear/learn a word for the first time, it seems that you then hear it often? Do you think you never actually heard the word before or is it that you never noticed it when you did and now something clicked, so hearing it again is really not coincidence?

This has happened to me many times and it just happened Monday/today. I was talking with some friends on Monday and one guy said something. I had never heard the word before, but got the gist of it in context. I was just reading one of the treads here on 2+2 and saw the same word written. (I was glad to have stumbled upon it, because I couldn’t remember what the word was after our dinner - had a few drinks.)

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

This happens to me sometimes, too, but I have no insight as to whether it's magic or just selective memory.

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

When I was taking the test for entrance into the Police Academy I had an interview and part of the interview was reading a bunch of words. One word was "egregious," and at the time I never heard or saw that word in my life. I didn't even know how to pronounce it. Since that day, I've probably heard it 10+ times.

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

Dont tell us what the word is or anything.

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

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Dont tell us what the word is or anything.

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The word is irrelevant. (No, not “irrelevant”, I’ve heard that word before.)

Why, so you will know how illiterate I am?

Ok, I’ll give you a hint: It’s in the dictionary. Two hints, begins with the letter A.

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

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Dont tell us what the word is or anything.

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Oh, sorry you were being funny and looking for an egregious word. (I need sleep.)

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

you just begin attracting the word

since i come from a biology background, i can tell you the effect is caused by pheromones

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

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Ok, I’ll give you a hint: It’s in the dictionary. Two hints, begins with the letter A.

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Is it aa, a Hawaiian name for a type of volcanic rock? Or was it a three-toed sloth? I forget.

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

nice try, but I don't think that will attract aa to you more often, regardless of pheromones

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

I just found out that the state of Texas borders the ocean. I mean I've seen maps but never noticed that it wasn't landlocked... I thought it was bordered by other states and Mexico on all sides.

Now I keep coming across info on coastal Texas areas.

http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.com/images/usa/texas.jpg

I got 1450 on my SAT and 25 on my ACT, but look at that [censored, [censored] Gulf of [censored] Mexico

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

Unrelated: you know that flick Return of the Jedi?

There's a scene where Luke surrenders to Vader, and Vader collects Luke's lightsaber from the guards, checks it out and whatnot. Then they go off to see the Emperor.

When they arrive in the Emperor's (senselessly massive) throne room, the next thing you know the Emperor's holding Luke saber and commenting about it.

I caught myself thinking WTF, Luke and Vader just got there, how the f did the Emperor get possession of the lightsaber? I mentioned it to my friends (also SW fans), and they were confused also.

We had to watch the scene and... we're just dumb.


POW

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

It's confirmation bias, you just didn't notice it before, and now you are paying particular attention for it. You also don't recognise when you learn a new word and DON'T hear it lots of times shortly afterwards.

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

it's the same as green chevy syndrome - once you buy a green chevy, you suddenly start noticing green chevys everywhere.

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

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since i come from a biology background, i can tell you the effect is caused by pheromones

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nice try, but I don't think that will attract aa to you more often, regardless of pheromones

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This is starting to freak me out. (Just kidding.)

Regardless of how it works, I guess I humor easier than most. Either that or most readers here simply have a more extensive vocabulary than I. (Not as likely to hear new words.)

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

Pheromones, confirmation bias, or green chevy syndrome - but, why does this happen. Why for x word and not y?

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

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Pheromones, confirmation bias, or green chevy syndrome - but, why does this happen. Why for x word and not y?

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It happens the same for both. That's what confirmation bias means, it's the same as green chevy syndrome.

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

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Pheromones, confirmation bias, or green chevy syndrome - but, why does this happen. Why for x word and not y?

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It happens the same for both. That's what confirmation bias means, it's the same as green chevy syndrome.

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Right – same thing. Still not why.

It happens with some words and not every new word I hear. Why are pheromones triggered for x word, yet not for y word.

This doesn’t happen with every new car I guy. Why green and not blue. Is it every time I buy a green car, but will not happen for blue?

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

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Pheromones, confirmation bias, or green chevy syndrome - but, why does this happen. Why for x word and not y?

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because you now notice both of them more. you heard X so picked up on it, but like someone earlier said, if you learned new word Y but then didn't hear it used afterwards, you would not even notice that.

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

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Pheromones, confirmation bias, or green chevy syndrome - but, why does this happen. Why for x word and not y?

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because you now notice both of them more. you heard X so picked up on it, but like someone earlier said, if you learned new word Y but then didn't hear it used afterwards, you would not even notice that.

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Why don't I notice that I don't hear Y word right away?

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

I dunno how many times I can type in "confirmation bias". It acts in two ways, both because you have this association in your mind.

1. When you learn a new word and you hear it shortly after, you notice it. This is the confirmation.

2. When you learn a new word and you do NOT hear it shortly after, you do not notice this. This is the second instance of confirmation bias.

That is the mechanism. The guy who said "pherenomes" was being sarcastic, they have nothing to do with it.

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

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I dunno how many times I can type in "confirmation bias" (etc)

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That was probably a bit harsh of me. I have no patience at all explaining things twice. Oops.

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

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I got 1450 on my SAT and 25 on my ACT, but look at that [censored, [censored] Gulf of [censored] Mexico

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pretty large disparity there between your SAT and ACT scores.

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

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I dunno how many times I can type in "confirmation bias" (etc)

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That was probably a bit harsh of me. I have no patience at all explaining things twice. Oops.

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Actually, you have only described it (twice). The why this happens is an unknown – my question was mostly rhetorical, for discussion purposes.

Why is the bias towards recognition (when we hear it), rather than towards recognizing when we don’t hear the word soon after.

(I probably should have posted this in SMP.)

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

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Why is the bias towards recognition (when we hear it), rather than towards recognizing when we don’t hear the word soon after.

(I probably should have posted this in SMP.)

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Confirmation bias is cool. It's a powerful concept that isn't particularly intuitive, and applies to loads of things. My best attempt at describing it in this case:

Your brain creates rules that spots patterns. We're very good at pattern recognition, and infact a little too good - we spot patterns where there are none.

Thus when you're faced with random data (like this is, effectively), you sometimes create rules for the pseudo-patterns on it. It's natural that you do not have any rules for absences of pattern, because absence of pattern describes 99.99% of our world.

The confirmation bias is spotting things that fit into the rules your brain has created, and discarding things that do not.

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

unctuous

When I looked it up I found out it was me.


I also find that when I learn a new word or saying, I will invariably hear or read it somewhere again within the next couple days.

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

I have had the experience of reading a word and sounding it out in my head but upon hearing it spoken I realize I was pronouncing it wrong.

eg.

centrifical

i had read it but not heard it and pronounced it SEN-tri-fic-al, when it is actually sen-TRIF-i-cal.

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

somewhat off-topic, but this reminds me of how i used to think there was a word "brotued" which meant "sponsored," because at the end of tv shows they used to say "brought to you so-and-so." i was about 16 or 17 when it finally clicked - man, what a revelation!

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

I was not aware that the Gulf of Mexico had been elevated to ocean status.

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

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I have had the experience of reading a word and sounding it out in my head but upon hearing it spoken I realize I was pronouncing it wrong.

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I've done that as well. My example is "hors d'œuvres." I was about 19 when I realized this was "orderves."

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

In response to your question, I just think your brain is susceptible to linking/recalling new things once you learn them. For instance if you had never learned the meaning of or seen the word the subsequent occurrences of it would have had no special significance. However, since it was fresh your brain was eager to see it in different situations because it enforced the knowledge you already had.

The green chevy syndrome like it is said above is pretty much the same thing. Another example is if you are having an emotionally hard time (e.g. a breakup) then all songs on the radio, programming on the TV, and conversations with those around you are somehow related in your brain to your breakup or breaking up in general.

I'm not sure if I answered your question of if you are just going to say why again, but I think it's all there. Not very scientific, but it seems to make sense. To me at least.

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

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somewhat off-topic, but this reminds me of how i used to think there was a word "brotued" which meant "sponsored," because at the end of tv shows they used to say "brought to you so-and-so." i was about 16 or 17 when it finally clicked - man, what a revelation!

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lol

I mean, LOL.

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

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I have had the experience of reading a word and sounding it out in my head but upon hearing it spoken I realize I was pronouncing it wrong.

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I've done that as well. My example is "hors d'œuvres." I was about 19 when I realized this was "orderves."

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What was your original pronunciation?

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

The dictionary.com word of the day for today is bravado

not a common word, but i bet the word bravado is going to stick out a lot more to you now and "you'll hear it more".

Please report back with how often you hear bravado


PS- bravado-"A real or pretended show of courage or boldness."

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

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I have had the experience of reading a word and sounding it out in my head but upon hearing it spoken I realize I was pronouncing it wrong.

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I've done that as well. My example is "hors d'œuvres." I was about 19 when I realized this was "orderves."

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Awry was "AWW-ree" in my head until a disappointingly late age.

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

for me it was

chaos = CHah-ohws

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

[ QUOTE ]
I have had the experience of reading a word and sounding it out in my head but upon hearing it spoken I realize I was pronouncing it wrong.

eg.

centrifical

i had read it but not heard it and pronounced it SEN-tri-fic-al, when it is actually sen-TRIF-i-cal.

[/ QUOTE ]

it's centrifugal

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

In college I was editing a story for the campus paper and the reporter had used the term "sea change," which I had never heard before in my life and had to look up. Like a week later I heard that was going to be the name of Beck's new album. I feel like I see it everywhere now.

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

experiment time! i have never seen nor heard of "sea change".. let's see if i hear it again

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

by the way, what is it?

Re: Hearing a word the first time in your life.
 

Main Entry:
sea change
Function:
noun
Date:
1612

1 (archaic) : a change brought about by the sea
2: a marked change : transformation <a sea change in public policy>